Widely used methods of building employ a structural grid or framework based upon the principals of post and beam construction. Numerous methods of joining the components (posts and beams) of a structural system have been employed. These methods include the use of connector pieces or other accessories to join the components together. However, the quantity and variety of pieces necessary to assemble a system of this type create many problems:
Complexity: The more pieces required to assemble a system the more difficult it is for the user to understand the process of assembly.
Assembly Time: The more pieces required to connect the primary members of a system to one another the more time is required to complete the assembly.
Configurations: The flexibility to create a variety of different configurations with a multi-component system is limited by the quantity of each component type.
Unused Pieces: A system comprising different post, beam, and connector pieces is dependent upon the right number of each piece. The loss of one component piece can render many other components unusable.
Component Orientation: The orientation of two components relative to one another is quite often difficult to ascertain. This is especially true in multi-component-type systems.
Accordingly, a primary goal of the present invention is to provide improved structural members or components for use in a structural grid/framework building system. Further goals are to simplify the connection between the respective components of a building system while maintaining the structural integrity of the connection, and to provide a building system with only a single type of necessary structural component (referred to herein as a single-component-type system). The latter feature would simplify assembly and mitigate the problem of lost parts, while maintaining flexibility to create a wide variety of configurations.